Sectional container



A ril 29, 1952 J. H. TABERER 2,595,113

SECTIONAL CONTAINER Filed Jan. 20, 194% 2 Sl-IEETS-Sl-IEET 1 John H.Tobe/er INVENTOR.

BY W-mg,

April 29, 1952 J. H. TABERER 2,595,113

SECTIONAL CONTAINER Filed Jan. 20, 1948 2 SHEETS SHEET 2 Fig.4;

Fig.5.

John h'.. Taberer INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SECTIONAL CONTAINERJohn H. Taberer, Burlington, N. J.

Application January 20, 1948, Serial No. 3,309

3 Claims. (Cl. 2204) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in containers for edibles and the primary object of thepresent invention is to provide a container including a plurality offood holding receptacles and embodying novel and improved means foradjustably retaining said receptacles in a stacked position so that oneor more of the receptacles may be removed for reducing the overalllength of the assembled container.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide asectional container including a group of dish-like food receptacles andnovel and improved means for sealing said receptacles in stackedposition one above the other to retain food placed in the same in afresh condition for long periods of time.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sectionalcontainer including a sectional housing having a plurality of separablesections facilitating the removal of a selected section or sections forreducing the length of the container.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a sectionalcontainer for edibles that is small and compact in structure, simple andpractical in construction, strong and reliable in use, neat andattractive in appearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, andotherwise well adapted for the purposes forwhich the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the sectional container constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view of Figure 1, and showing the housing, closureand carrying handle removed therefrom;

Figure 3-is a perspective view of the liquid chamber used in conjunctionwith the present invention, and showing the closure cup and stopperremoved therefrom;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantiallythrough the center of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a group perspective of a pair of food receptacles and asealing disk that is disposed between the same;

Figure .6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the latching meansemployed for retaining the section holding straps in a fixed position;and,

Figure '7 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the sectionholding straps used in conjunction with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose ofillustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the numeral [0 represents a plurality of annular dish-likereceptacles or sections, preferably of durable glass construction. Forthe purpose of description, one of the receptacles will be referred toas an upper section and will be indicated by the numeral [2 and afurther of the receptacles will be referred to as a lower section whichis indicated by the numeral i4. Projecting outwardly from thelower-walls l6 of each of the dish-like sections, is an annular rib orflanged portion I8 that frictionally engages an annular recess or seat20 provided in the upper face of a sealing disk 22. One of these sealingdisks 22 is frictionally positioned on the upper reduced annular edge 24of the dish-like sections l0. Integrally formed with the lower face ofthe disks 22 are annular sealing rings 23 that frictionally engageannular notches or recesses 25 provided in the upper edges of thedishlike sections [0 adjacent the edges24.

Frictionally engaging the annular recess in the sealing disk that issupported on the upper edge 24 of the upper section I2, is an annularring 26 integrally formed with the fiat lower wall 21 of a hollowsubstantially frusto-conical liquid chamber 28 having a discharge mouth30. Fixedly secured'to the outer periphery of the mouth 39, is an'externally threaded sleeve 32 having an inner, enlarged annular flangedportion 34. -In order to close the mouth 3!], there is provided astopper 36 of cork or any other suitable resilient material. Receivablyengaging the sleeve 32, is an internally threaded closure cap 38 havinga central, annular recessed portion 40 that frictionally engages one end42 of the stopper 36 that extends outwardly from the mouth 30. appliedon the sleeve 32, the innermost extremity 44 of the said cap 38 willfrictionally engage the flanged portion 34 of the sleeve to preventforeign matter from entering between the sleeve 32 and cap 38.

The numeral 46 represents the housing used in conjunction with thepresent invention generally, including an upper sleeve-like section 48,an intermediate sleeve-like section 50, and a lower sleeve-like section52 that is closed at its lower end by an integral closure plate 54.

When this closure cap 38 is properly Turned inwardly from the lower edgeof the upper sleeve-like section 48, is a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced arcuate channels 56 that slidably engage circumferentially spacedarcuate channels 58, offset at the upper edge of the intermediatesleeve-like section 50 so that the outer periphery of the uppersleeve-like section 48 will be coplanar or flush with the outerperiphery of the intermediate sleeve-like section 50. Ofiset at theupper edgeof the lower sleeve-like sec tion 52 are circumferentiallyspaced arcuate channels 60 that slidably engage circumferentially spacedinwardly turned arcuate channels 62 at the lower edge of theintermediate section 50 so that the lower sleeve-like section 52 will becoplanar with sections 448 and. 50.

Projecting outwardly from diametrically opposite sides of the uppersection '4Blis: a pair :of' locking pins or lugs 64 that lockably engagearcuate slots or bayonet slots 66 in the annular wall 68 of a closurecup H3 which may be employed for receiving liquid poured from thePivotally and I removably engaging the lugs 64 are the eye ends 12 of aU shaped chamber 28.

carrying handle- 14- The numeral 16 represents the'sectional strap usedin conjunction with the presentinvention generally, comprising an upperarm 18' havinga hook 80 at one end that frictionally engages an annularrib 82 about the-outer periphery of the chamber 28, an intermediatearm84; and a lower arm 86 having an angulated lower end 83 that engages theannularrib l8 projecting outwardly from the lower wall of thelowerdishlike section [4. intermediate arm 84, is a plurality of lugs '88that selectively engage a suitable lug engaging recess provided in theupper end of the lower arm 88. Fixed on the'upper'end'of theintermediate arm 84, is a pivot block 90*that'pivotally supports theinturned ends 92 of a'U shaped actuating lever 94 having loops 96adjacent its inturned ends 92 that" pivotally-engage the inturned ends98 of a U shaped-latchelement I60 that lockably engages a lip 02 atoneedge that" is provided at one end of a rigid plate IDA-fixed on thelower end of the upper-arm: 18.

It should be noted, that a cushiondisk I06 of suitable resilientmaterial is fixed, tothe'inner face of the closure'plate 54'tofrictionally' engage the lower wall of ,the' lower section, 14 to spacethe annular rib I8 from-theclcsure plate'5 4. Also,'arcuate straps I08fixedly-spaced relative to the arms 18, 84 and 86 friction-allyembracethe sections I0 and chamber 28to pro vide a space between the housingand sections and chamber 26.

In practical use of the device, a group of straps 16 are employed forretaining the sections It in a fixed stacked position one on the other;Obviously, one or more of the sections l0 and the sections 50 may beremoved from the present container for reducing the overall length ofthe same and without disturbing the eflicie'ncy of 'the'same forretaining food or liquid in a cool or hot condition.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying draw-- ings it is believed i that a clear understandingProjecting outwardlygfrom the 4. of the device will be quite apparent tothose skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordinglydeemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shownand described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same issusceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of theinvention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A container comprising a-plurality of dishlikesections stacked oneabove the other and including an upper section having an upstandingperipheral rib on its outer surface and a lower, section having aperipheral rib on its undersurface, a pair of elongated membersretaining' said sections in. assembled position, said members havingupper terminal hooks overlying and engaging said rib on said uppersection and lower terminal hooks engaging under the rib'on saidlower-section, said members includinga pairrofstraps, and meansreleasably joining said straps.

2.The-combination of claim 1 and arcuate strapsfixed to said members andembracing said sections.

3; In a container, upper and lower dish-like sections, each of saidsections including a fiat bottom wall and a peripheral wall rising fromsaid bottom wall, the upper edge of the peripheral wall ofsaid lowersection having a continuous recess therein, a continuous rib dependingfrom the bottom wall of the upper section, anda resilient sealing diskinterposed between said sectionand having a continuous rib on its lowerface, the rib on said disk being received in the recesses in theperipheral wall of said lower section, and the upper face of said diskhaving a continuous groove receiving the rib depending from thebottomwall of. said upper section.

JOHN H. TABERER.

REFERENCES CITED The following. references are of record in the fileofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 67,391 Wilcox- July 30, 1867315,917 Dean Apr. 14, 1885 372,337 Simon Nov. 1, 1887 385,257 Ehle June26, 1888 880,082 Kendrick Feb. 25, 1908 1,097,690' Ward May 26, 19141,351,964 Orofino Sept. 7, 1920 1,436,499 Hammond Nov. 21, 19221,490,973 Hodgson Apr. 22, 1924 1,552,997 Morczak Sept. 8, 19251,582,338 Lopez et al. Apr. 27, 1926 1,622,494 Cranston Mar. 29, 19271,837,652 Choate Dec. 22, 1931 2,026,967 Devine Jan. 7, 1936 2,099,174Payson Nov. 16, 1937 2,147,886 Devine Feb. 21, 1939 2,326,414 ThompsonAug. 10, 1943 2,347,670 Devine May2, 1944 2,462,461: Bird Feb. 22, 1949'

